Globe strengthens campaign vs piracy

MANILA, Philippines — The fight against illegal streaming and downloading of movies will never stop as long as Filipinos patronize such illegal acts online. From the latest data on We Are Social, Philippines ranks 10th in terms of torrent downloads. Fifty-five percent of visits to movies and series sites are done on illegal sites.

To educate and remind Filipinos of their responsibilities as movie enthusiasts, Globe Telecom is strongly leading efforts through its #PlayItRight advocacy that endeavors to convince Filipinos to watch movies they love the right and legal way.

Under #PlayItRight, Globe activated Piracy vs Piracy to further its cause. Tackling the issue of piracy head on, the campaign delivered its message by using channels where piracy happens: torrent and streaming websites.

Last Dec. 23, while stars took to the streets to join the Metro Manila Film Fest (MMFF) Parade of Stars, Globe took to torrent sites, streaming sites, and even social media and uploaded copies of the MMFF films and other blockbuster Filipino movies.

In just a few hours, hundreds of clicks were made by those hoping to watch the films for free. However, to the surprise of these people who didn’t want to pay the usual ticket price, they were served a different kind of film instead.

After the opening credits and scenes of each film, the movies were cut short to feature the actors and film crew recounting the hard work they put into creating the films and the lives affected by choosing to watch movies from illegal sources. The featured crew members ended the clips with a plea to “pirates” to watch movies the right way -- to  consume content from legitimate sources.

“Piracy Against Piracy sends a strong message to everyone on the effects and realities of piracy in the industry -- that every illegal download affects hundreds of cast and crew members whose jobs support their families,” said Quark Henares, director of Globe Studios.

“There is usually no guilt when it comes to the crime of piracy because it feels like a crime that robs no one of nothing. But the truth is, pirating local films robs fellow Filipinos of livelihood and the possibility of making more films. This campaign has forced people who illegally stream or download to meet the people they rob from,” Marielle Nones, art director of Publicis JimenezBasic said.

“Our customers deserve not just safe but also quality content. At the same time, we also want to make sure that our products and services are not used for illegal activities. These pursuits, along with our high regard for original content, inspired us to create this innovative campaign,” Yoly Crisanto, Globe senior vice president for corporate communications, pointed out.

Filmmakers themselves have chimed in their support.

“We should protect the film industry from pirates. Without piracy, we keep our jobs and convince creators to produce good content the audience would love to see,” JP Habac, director of I’m Drunk I Love You, said.

“This commitment by Globe to fight film piracy gives due credit to the money, sweat and tears that filmmakers have put into their projects. Everyday, we get messages from our site to request for a free download of Respeto (Talk about respect!) The campaign is also such a clever way to shame the shameless pirates from downloading films, Monster Jimenez, producer of Respeto, added.`

Other films that lent their support to Piracy vs Piracy includeAll of You, Ang Larawan, Ang Manananggal sa Unit 32B, Baka Bukas, Birdshot, Heneral Luna, Ilawod and Siargao.

Since its launch, #PlayItRight’s Piracy vs Piracy campaign has already fueled discussions among government agencies, local and international NGOs and organizations to protect intellectual property and has already accumulated a lot of support. It also has only this goal – end the cycle of obtaining content illegally.